Cut-off-controlling mechanism for continuous-cigarette machines.



PATBNTED DEC. 12, 1905.

E. ZSGHERNIG. OUT-OFF CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed February 28, 1905. Serial No. 246,924.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND ZSCHERNIG, a subject of the King of Saxony, and a resident of Dresden, Kanonenstrasse 5, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cut-Off-Controlling Mechanism for Continuous-Cigarette and Cigarette-Wrapping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of printed or sheetmetal or cork or other tipped cigarettes or cigarette-wrappers by machinery in continuous length it is difiicult to maintain the correct position of the points of severance, so that the continuous length of cigarette may be always out at the desired point. To enable this to be attained as completely as possible in continuous-cigarette and cigarette-wrapping machines, an arrangement for "control' ling or holding back the out has been employed which consists in inserting in the gearing which produces the movement of the knife toward the strip a stop-pin acting as tappet transmitting the motion between two parts of the gearing, so that during a portion of the rotation of the driving part they periodically fall out with respect to the driven part-that is to say, the driven part lags behind relatively to the driving part. The disadvantage of this device is, however, that the stop mechanism requires a workman to operate it, so as to regulate the instant of contact of the knife with the paper strip.

According to the present invention a device for regulating the cut is so constructed that the machine works entirely automatically and automatically regulates the cut of the cigarette or cigarette-paper without the assistance of a workman, leaving no uncovered edge on the mouthpiece of either paper or cigarette, no edging of the tipping conductive material on the other end of the cigarette, and also preventing the formation of cigarettewrappers or cigarettes with tips of irregular length. To this end the conductivity of the material for tipping the mouthpiece of a cigarette is utilized to make and break an electric circuit which controls a feed-retarding mechanism,'and while I have shown and de scribed the mechanism by which I prefer to accomplish the objects of my invention it will be obvious that the details thereof may be varied without departing from the nature and spirit of my invention.

In this device aforesaid an electromagnet connected to a weak and a second electromagnet connected to a stronger source of electricity are so arranged that the completion by the tipping material of the circuit of one electromagnet causes the completion of the circuit of the other electromagnet, whereby a falling lever shifts a clutch and effects the automatic regulation of the cut-off. The completion of the circuit is effected by means of a finger on the shears or knife, which finger when the material with which the mouthpieces are tipped gets too far forward-comes in contact therewith and initiates the movements for the regulation of the cut.

In the accompanying drawings the new apparatus is shown applied to a cigarette-wrapping machine, all those parts having nothing to do with the present device being omitted.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a partial end elevation, while Fig. 4. shows, on a larger scale, the open shears with the finger mounted thereon and also a portion of a completed cigarette with its tip in plan and horizontal section.

The paper strip 1, drawn from a roll and coated on one side with sheet material or other conducting mouthpiece-tipping material at suitable intervals, is fed forward to be formed into a covering by the folding-wheel 2 and then presented as a covering to a cutting device consisting, for example, of a shears having three knives 3 4 5, Fig. 4. These shears are closed by a spring 7 after an arm 6 has risen and are opened by the downward movement of the said arm. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) The shears carry an insulated finger 8, which moves with them, and between the shears and the finger is placed a support 9, insulated from the bed-plate, the office of which is to support the cover to be cut off. The finger 8 and support 9 are connected to an electromagnet 11 and a weak source of electricity 10.

The folding-wheel 2 is driven from the shaft 12 by the usual gearing, constructed as a feed mechanism, the regulation of which is effected automatically according to the present invention.

The feed-retarding mechanism consists of the clutch parts 13 14, rigidly'mounted on the shaft 12 and provided with oppositelyarranged teeth, the one series of such teeth being displaced in face of the other series of such teeth for half a pitch. The couplingsleeve 15, carrying the gear-wheel, is pressed against the teeth of the part 13 by a spring 17, connected to the clutch-fork 16, so \that the folding-wheel 2 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. The sleeve and the part 13 form with their marginal disks '18 and 19 an annular groove which is contracted at a certain point to form a wedge-nose 20, standing out laterally from the edge disk 18. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Behind the nose 20 and at similar distance there is mounted on the part 13 of the clutch a finger 21, which rises toward the circumference, as shown in Fig. 1. Above the said annular groove is the headlike end of the falling lever 23, pivoted at 22, which lever by means of a spring-bolt 24, underlying a nose on the lever, is prevented from falling with its head into the annular groove of the clutch. The springbolt 24 forms the armature of a second electromagnet 26, which is connected to a contact-spring 28 and a circuit-closing lever 29 through a stronger source of electricity 27 for the purpose of intermittently exciting it. The spring 28 moves over the back of a disk 31, mounted on the driving-shaft 30 and composed wholly or partially of conducting material, the edge of said disk, which is provided with an insulated lifting-finger 32, engaging with a contact-piece 33 on the lever 29. The lever 29 has a nose-like lug 34, under which a pin 35 lies remote from the armature 36 of the first electromagnet 11, which controls the regulation of the cut in the following Way:

So long as the cutting proceeds regularly the finger 8, which moves with the shears toward the tube to be cut off, does not touch the mouthpiece 37, (see Fig. 4,) and the machine continues to work unhindered, as usual. Immediately, however, the mouthpiece-tip 37 comes in contact with the finger 8 the circuit to the electromagnet 11 is completed and its armature 36 attracted. By this means the pin 35 onthe lever 36 is drawn away from under the lug 34 on the lever 29, so that the latter falls, dragging its shoe 33 over the disk 31, and so closes the circuit to the electromagnet 26.

l The latter in consequence draws away the spring-bolt 24 underneath the nose 25 of the lever 23, so causing the latter to fall and its head to enter the annular groove in the clutch, which, owing to the action of the head of the lever upon the wedge-nose 20, is thrust into the teeth of the part 14 of the clutch. In consequence of the displaced position of the teeth of the clutch as they are moved together the folding-wheel 2 is slightly retarded, as is also the movement of the paper tube, so that the shears cut the tube in such manner that no white margin is left at the one mouthpiece end of the cigarettes or strips of tipping material on the other end, the latter being specially prevented by the broad cut of the knives. After the tube has been out 01f the tip 37 passes out of the reach of the finger 8, thereby breaking the circuit to the electromagnet 11 and releasing its armature 36, the pin 35 of which again passes beneath the lug 34 of the lever 29, which in the meantime has been raised by the finger 32. This also breaks the circuit to the electromagnet 26 and releases the spring-bolt 24, which once more moves under the nose 25 of the falling lever 23, which has been raised in the meantime by the finger 21, Fig. 1. After the head of the falling lever has been freed from the annular groove of the clutch the spring 17 again brings the part 15 of the clutch into the teeth of the part 13, and the machine works on quietly until a mouthpiece-tip which is too far forward once more completes the circuit, and the cycle of the operations above described again takes place to regulate the cut.

If the regulating device is to be applied to cigarette-machines, the finger is mounted on the knife-carrying arm, which is raised by the completion of the circuit closed by the mouthpiece tip. The mechanical arrangement may be of any suitable kind. The main point is that the mouthpiece-tip shall complete a circuit, and so regulate the out. It should also be noted that the arrangement of two electromagnets as described is preferable, as the necessarily powerful current required for the release of the falling lever acting upon the clutch would act prejudicially upon the mouthpiece material. It is to be understood, however, that the regulation of the cut may be performed by'one electromagnet without injuring the mouthpieces.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cut-off-controlling mechanism for continuous length cigarette and cigarettewrapping machines, the combination with a cutting device for the continuous strip, of a feed-retarding mechanism controlling the relative position between the strip and the cutting device, and means for making and breaking an electrical circuit for throwing into and out of action the said retarding mechanism, said electric circuit being closed through a conducting-mouthpiece tip on the said strip, substantially as described.

2. In a cutoff-controlling mechanism for continuous length cigarette and cigarette- Wrapping machines, the combination with a cutting device for the continuous strip, ofa feed-retarding mechanism controlling the forward movement of the strip, an electromagnet, an insulated finger carried by the cutting device, a guide-bearing for the strip, a source of electricity and electrical connections from the said finger to the magnet, to the source of electricity, to the guide-bearing, the circuit being closed through a conducting-mouthpiece on said strip.

3. In a cut-off-controlling mechanism for continuous length cigarette and cigarettewrapping machines, the combination with a cutting device for the continuous strip, of a feed-retarding mechanism controlling the forward movement of the strip, an insulated finger carried by the cutting device, a guidebearing for the strip, two electromagnets, two

sources of electricity and electrical connections so that the closing of one circuit through a conducting-mouthpiece on the strip closes the other circuit to actuate the feed-retarding mechanism.

4. In a cut-oif-controlling mechanism for continuous length cigarette and cigaretteyvrapping machines, the combination with a cutting device for severing a continuous strip, of a feeding-wheel causing the forward movement of the strip, an insulated finger carried by the cutting device, a guide-bearing for the strip, two electromagnets, independent sources of electricity, two clutch parts with oppositely-arranged teeth displaced half a pitch, two disks forming a groove, a spring-bolt forming the armature of the clectromagnet, a falling lever held by such spring-bolt, a wedgemagnet and causing the withdrawal of the said spring-bolt and falling of the lever and the momentary disengagement of the clutch parts to retard the movement of the said feedingwheel. 7 I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 7th day of February, 1905.

EDMUND ZSCHERNIG. Witnesses: 3

OTTO H. KNooP, PAUL E. SCHILLING. 

